Jericho's Emancipation
by Violetinspiration
Summary: Jericho became a hero to avoid becoming lost in the shadow of his father. When he runs into his unstable little sister on a mission, it raises all sorts of questions about where he came from. Will Jericho ever be able to escape his father's legacy? Will Rose discover that she really is a hero at heart? And will Robin be able to cope with the fact that Slade was not always evil?
1. Of Purple Uniforms and Broken Children

**Author's note: I've always been intrigued with the idea of Slade having kids, and as Ravager has only been used in the comics reboot, I have no problem with creating my own version of her. I've tried to keep it true to the research I've done- let me know what you think! Constructive criticism would be great. Just no flames. My review box isn't fireproof. :-)**

Disclaimer: The Teen Titans are so awesome than I am borrowing them for a story. However, I don't own them and will not make any money from borrowing them. I promise to return them when I'm done.

Jericho's Emancipation

Chapter One : Of Purple Uniforms and Broken Children

Rose Wilson sat hunched on the lower bunk of the bed in which she slept every night, rocking backward and forward, trying to control her powers.

_Must not lose control… Must not lose control…_

Her mind branched in a thousand different directions, her emotions buzzing inside her. She had to maintain control. The last time she had unleashed her levitation powers, she had accidentally smashed a gallon of paint from another room onto her dorm supervisor's best shoes, and after they had used the Switch on her, she had spent the entire night polishing them and had fallen asleep in her breakfast the next morning.

She still couldn't believe that Slade- she would never give them the satisfaction of calling him Daddy- had torn apart her life this way. She had been classified as Delinquent just because she was his daughter. She had been left to rot in some laboratory that was no longer satisfied with the amount of metahumans they could get legally. She knew other kids like her were getting kidnapped, subjected to experiments designed to break them. She was one of the lucky ones-she was already broken, and they daren't damage her further because of her already loose hold on her powers.

It wasn't her fault. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself. She hadn't asked to be able to see the future. She hadn't asked to be able to feel people's pain, or to be able to make things-and sometimes herself-fly. She would have given anything- _anything_- to go back to the time when her family had been normal. Before her father's humanity had drained away. Before Joey had lost his voice. Her father had become lost in a sea of mechanical parts; her brother had slipped away, probably praying that he would be presumed dead.

This thought made her rock back and forth with even more intensity. The power was surging through her, her anxiety giving her a strange tunnel vision; she forgot nearly every good thing that had happened to her, and she seemed to be wandering through the darkness lined with red. There was no hope. No hope that things could improve.

_All I want is one happy day. Is that too much to ask? One happy day?_

She put her head in her lap, and her grief overcame her. There was the sound of an explosion from deep within the wall, and the room was plunged into darkness.

…

Robin pulled the stolen uniform over his head. Taking no time to check his reflection, he went to his computer to see if Jericho had arrived at the rendezvous point.

Jericho had always struck him as a little strange. For one thing, he never spoke. Robin wasn't even sure if he _could_ speak. He had very strong powers. In fact, they were so strong that Robin was surprised that such a gentle soul was able to contain them. However, he was a capable fighter when driven into it. Raven had been the one to suggest that he come with them on this mission; metahuman children were being kept illegally at a compound, and Jericho's personality put kids naturally at ease.

He connected his computer to the security camera, and was pleased to see the Jericho was there, at least five minutes early. The guy was punctual. He zoomed in the view. Jericho had also brought his banjo.

_Oh well, I guess it can't hurt… besides, it ought to amuse Beast Boy at least._

Now that he looked closer, the banjo looked thick enough to be used in self-defense, but he couldn't visualize Jericho hitting anyone over the head.

_I should go welcome him, _thought Robin. No sooner had he thought it, however, then did Starfire appeared on screen, giving Jericho her trademark enthusiastic hug. Jericho winced in pain, and then smiled at her. Starfire, too, was dressed in a stolen uniform, and Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven appeared seconds later, similarly dressed. Cyborg tossed a matching uniform into Jericho's lap.

Robin shut the lid of his laptop, making his way into the living room. By the time he got there, Jericho had gone somewhere to dress in his uniform and had returned.

"Thank God you're here! Cyborg was close to throwing a fit!" said Beast Boy.

"I was not! I just don't see any good reason why these uniforms have to be _purple_! It clashes with the hardware." Cyborg brushed the sides of his uniform, which was already slightly too small for him.

"I suppose that we should get you a matching handbag to compensate," mumbled Raven, rolling her eyes.

Jericho hunched over, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"It has nothing to do with that! If they notice my mechanical parts, they'll be bound to recognize me. The last thing we need is for our disguise to reveal our mission for us."

"The reason the uniforms are purple is that the Paranormalogists want to keep them distinctive to ward off spies. They're almost impossible to get a hold of," said Robin.

Beast Boy's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "So _that's_ why you came back wearing that cat costume the night you got them."

Robin blushed, but Starfire quickly interjected.

"Oh, you must have been so adorable! I wish I could have seen it!"

Beast Boy perked up. "I have pictures," he said eagerly.

"It doesn't matter what I went through to get the uniforms. As heroes, we must be prepared to do anything to maintain our code of justice," sputtered Robin. His voice became calmer. "Terrible things are happening to kids just like us. We've heard stories, but we've had no conclusive proof. Until today. I would have done a lot more than dress up in a cat suit for that."

The Titans slowly began to look more serious. Jericho picked up a stray pen lying on the giant circular table, and unable to find any paper, wrote on the back of his own hand.

_You're right, Robin. Let's do this._

Robin slapped his hands together. "Okay team. We have our mission. Titans, go!"

And they set off, none of them knowing that the proof they needed would come from the daughter of their greatest enemy.


	2. A Snap Decision

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews and follows. I don't think that I'll normally update more than once a week, but I had some extra time so I thought, why not? To my guest reviewers, sorry that your reviews didn't show up. I didn't realize my settings were like that. :-( Hopefully I fixed it. I read them all, and would like to thank anon in particular for the extra information. All of you guys rock!**

Jericho's Emancipation

Chapter Two: A Snap Decision

"Welcome, new employees, to the Paranormalogist Experimental Center and Correctional Facility."

Robin stood with his fellow disguised Titans, following a severe, thin woman with a pouf of gray hair. So far, what he had seen resembled a prison crossed with a work camp and hospital, but the leader of the facility was behaving as though she were merely presenting a boarding school for kids with problems.

"We take in children of super villains in an attempt to reform them, as well as conduct carefully controlled experiments to better understand the phenomenon that is metahumanism. As our experiments show that evil is a trait that can be passed genetically, strict disciplinary measures are enforced. Meals are rationed. Pupils are not allowed to touch each other. Any deviation from the rules is severely punished."

The metal walkway that they were being led down began to descend, and Robin found himself in the doorway of an enormous room. Metal tables were filled with bowls of colorless food. Despite the size of the room, all that could be heard was the scraping of silverware and the occasional cough. Most of the children did not even raise their heads at the newcomers.

Robin couldn't see anything that was obviously wrong about this place, but something seemed off. Nobody sitting in this cafeteria seemed to want to make eye contact. The few students who did look at him looked at him with hasty, hesitant glances, as if he had come to punish them for some are unknown crime.

It was ridiculous- evil passed genetically? Proof that this was a fallacy lay in his own team. Raven would have sided with her father if that had been true.

There was no way that the kids of any villain could be inherently evil, though there was perhaps one exception…

The leader interrupted his thoughts. "This is the cafeteria, where we serve food that has been genetically enhanced with a special process so that the taste of the food depends on the quality of the person's behavior during the past day, a new disciplinary measure that-"

A little girl with brown pigtails suddenly retched, her spoon clattering into the bowl. She looked up, big green eyes shining with fear, as though she had just done something terrible. The people sitting on the bench with her seemed to disappear, making themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

"SILENCE!"

The leader barked this command with such force that every head in the room snapped upright. She strode purposefully over to the little girl, who stood up, head bowed, clutching the folds of her green and white checkered dress. She was trembling. It reminded Robin of a baby rabbit being cornered by a fox.

"Need I remind you, Myra, of your deviation yesterday? You don't want to be put with the C class, do you?"

The C class were the kids that were being experimented on, though the details that Robin's informants had been able to gather were sketchy. The girl turned white.

"N-n-n…"

Somebody put a hand on his shoulder. Robin almost jumped; he had been so transfixed by the scene before him that he had almost lost sight of his mission.

Starfire whispered into his ear. "Shall we move now, Robin?"

Robin moved his head slightly sideways. Starfire moved back. They didn't have enough proof yet; like it or not, they had to watch this.

"The Switch, I think. Food is not to be wasted. You are fortunate, children, are you not?"

The children replied in unison, as if this were a cue. "We are very fortunate, Leader Reformer."

"Why are you fortunate?"

At this the children stood, hands up in a kind of strange salute.

"Others are protected from the evil inside us. So let it be, for we cannot escape our legacy."

"And the transgressor?"

There was some hesitation, and the final phrase withered into dissonance.

"…shall be punished."

The little girl, Myra, started sobbing. She knelt at the feet of the leader reformer, her mouth moving, making incoherent sounds that might have been words. Whenever The Switch was, Robin had the feeling that it wasn't a branch on a tree.

"As this is a minor transgression, you shall only have to endure the switch for one minute. Be thankful."

Robin gritted his teeth. He knew this would end badly, but he couldn't lift a finger without proper evidence. The organization was legal until proven otherwise. He was forced to sit and watch, just as he had done with Zucco and his gang of gangsters…

"You have the honor of watching," said the leader, gesturing towards Robin and his fellow Titans. Her raspy voice showed genuine affection for her system. It made the hairs on the back of Robin's neck stand on end. He had to say something. Even if the mission failed because of it, he couldn't just sit there. He tensed, ready to spring into action, when a voice, a girl's voice, rose from the tables.

"I'll take her place."

Slowly, eyes followed movement from the far corner of the room. A girl made her way past the rows of captives, and for the first time, Robin could detect a trace of excitement in their eyes.

The Leader curled her lip in undisguised distaste, but her wrinkled face gradually fell into an expression of neutrality. "Do you think that wise? You will have to spend 30 minutes in The Switch, Rose Wilson. Your time has accumulated, thanks to your lack of control."

Out of the corner of his eye, Robin thought he saw Jericho step forward, but it was probably just a trick of the light.

The girl was now close enough to see clearly. She was tall and blonde, wearing a simple T shirt and torn jeans. She had the expression of someone much too worldly for her age. She looked tired, and the eye patch she was wearing didn't help things.

She looked fierce and severe, but when she finally reached them, she moved toward Myra, bending down to accommodate for the difference in height.

Myra was still reeling from her recent encounter, yet she leaned against Rose, and Robin was surprised when Rose stroked Myra's hair gently and told her, "Go back to your seat Myra. It'll be all right."

Myra, face stained with tears, hurried back to her seat, head down.

Rose came so close to the Leader that they were practically nose to nose.

"What satisfaction do you get out of picking on her? What is wrong with you? Did your mother never hug you or something?"

The leader's eyes widened for a split second, and Rose chuckled.

"Wow, it seems my empathy is improving. No wonder you hold a grudge against her. She was so well treated by her adopted family before you kidnapped her and took her here."

"I WILL NOT PUT UP WITH THESE INSINUATIONS!" the leader's face had gone pink, her cheeks scarlet. "I have the power to break you. I have the power!"

"You're wasting your time using that power on me." Rose grinned evilly. "I'm already broken. Life got to me before you ever did."

Robin looked around, wondering how the other Titans were taking this. To his astonishment, Jericho seemed to be the one having the most difficulty with it- Raven had a hand on his shoulder and was giving him a warning look.

"You labor under the delusion that I enjoy my parentage. One day you'll see how wrong you are." She looked up at the silent Leader. "The Switch, please. I want to get this over with. I believe I must spend 45 minutes in it now? "

The Leader seemed to dither for a moment. Finally she spoke, voice a monotone, power taken away by one courageous act.

"Very well." She looked at the Titans. "Come. It is essential that you know the operation of this machine."

They continued until they reached a room containing what seemed to be a cylindrical elevator. It was huge, made of a material similar to yellow plastic. It reminded Robin of a giant water cooler. To its left sat the most intricate bank of switches Robin had ever seen. Some of the real employees followed them.

"The operation of The Switch is largely self explanatory. You merely set The Switch to the appropriate genetic profile, and it is ready for use." The leader flipped a few switches, then gestured to one of the employees. "You. Take the girl."

The purple- uniformed guard grabbed Rose roughly and dragged her to The Switch. Its door hissed open, and he shoved her inside.

Rose sat on the floor of The Switch for a few seconds, and then a different kind of hissing could be heard- a denser, more malevolent sound. The plastic walls fogged over, and Rose's features became indistinct.

Robin was just beginning to wonder what The Switch did when he heard a scream- a high, unearthly scream punctuated by hoarse sobbing. Suddenly, banging began to emanate from The Switch. Rose was beating the sides of her plastic prison.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN OWN ME? I WILL AVENGE THE THEFT OF MY CHILDHOOD AND MY FATHER'S SOUL, FOR I AM RAVAGER, MONSTER OF MONSTERS! I AM RAVAGER, AND ALL SHALL PAY!"

Her head jerked sideways, and she put it between her knees.

"No! I mustn't… can control… must control…I don't want to be a monster… shall create…own legacy… what have I done? My eye. MY EYE!"

Robin would have slated her as evil if it were not for the tone of her words. They spoke of a lifetime of guilt and pain.

She was nearing the end of her endurance- her next words came only in the pale whisper.

"Father… _why?" _

Robin signaled to his fellow Titans, and almost before he did it, Jericho took advantage of his position directly behind the Leader and struck her in the back of the neck. She landed hard on the floor, unconscious.

A swarm of purple guards began to surround The Titans. They were outnumbered; Robin knew already that a victory would be hard-won.

"Titans, go!" he shouted, and a student from the lunch hall heard his command.

"It's the Titans! The Titans have come! Get up and help them!"

Suddenly Robin was surrounded by fledgling metahumans, all as eager to bring down this torture chamber as he was. There almost wasn't enough room for all of them to fight. Robin lost track of the battle action in the sound of things breaking and bursts of light.

Fleetingly, he saw one of the guards pick the leader up, only to be surrounded by a group of captive metahumans and cornered. They took no offensive action against him; apparently they were aware that true justice would require an arrest.

An hour passed until the guards were subdued. Mayhem continued, and Robin knew that his cast of supporters had gotten so large that things were about spiral out of control. With some effort, he pushed his way out of the switch room back into the cafeteria. Climbing onto one of the tables, he put his fingers between his teeth.

"PHWEEEEEEET."

The sharp, piercing sound was enough to make those in the room look up, and after a few seconds, everyone was silent, including those in the switch room.

Robin cleared his throat. "Thank you for your assistance. It has come to our attention that illegal activity has occurred here. The Switch definitely is not allowed per regulations." A few people actually whooped at this. "Please stay where you are until the arrest is complete."

He leapt down from the table and made his way back to the switch room. The metahumans that had cornered The Leader were still standing in front of her, and had managed to separate her from her bodyguard, who was being kept on the other side of the room by a similar metahuman wall.

The Leader had come around, and Robin bent over her.

"You're under arrest. The police will be here to pick you up shortly."

"You're making a mistake, Robin. Would you want the children of your worst enemy running around on the streets?"

This question made Robin pause. It disturbed him; he had a duty here, and besides, Slade didn't have any kids.

Finally he just said, "I'd rather they be loose than in here."

"When we meet again Robin, I'll see if you still think that. I'm holding you to that statement, you understand. "

Robin stayed with The Leader until the police came, but he did not speak to her again. It was entirely ridiculous to entertain the notion of Slade having kids; she was obviously out of her mind

…

"Hey, has anyone seen Jericho?"

Beast Boy sidled up to Raven, who was staring out at the scene of police investigation before her.

"He's freeing that girl. Rose. I sensed something rather strange in his emotions."

"Really?"

"Yes. And for the time being, I'm not telling Robin. He would be biased."

Before Beast Boy could ask Raven what she meant, Jericho emerged from the switch room. To Beast Boy's amazement, he was carrying the girl, who appeared to be unconscious.

Robin came out of the crowd just then, and did not appear to find anything strange about Jericho carrying Rose.

"Oh, Jericho. You have the girl. Good. We need all the information we can get."

Jericho appeared not to hear. His attention was focused on Rose, who had begun to stir in his arms. She gave a small moan, her blue eyes flickering open.

"Can you hear me? Are you hurt?" Robin began to come forward.

Raven grabbed his shoulder. "Robin, shut up."

"But-"

"Shut up."

Jericho knelt on the wooden floor, careful not to jostle Rose. She looked up at him, surprise casting a light into her eyes that had not been there before.

"Joey?" she rasped.

Jericho nodded, ignoring the astonished Titans and a resigned Raven.

"You're here with the Titans?"

Jericho nodded again.

"You have to get away from her if e, if you're with them. He's coming. I'm not sure when, but he's coming. They'll turn on both of us. Future… not… set…in…stone…if we get away."

She was crying. She cried for a few minutes, then gradually calmed down. She became fully aware of her surroundings. She regained her rough façade, smirking at the Titans, who had gathered around Jericho.

"You keep quite the company, don't you, bro?" she said as she slid off his lap.

**Cliffhanger! Honestly, I didn't do it on purpose. That really was the best cutoff point. Hope you guys liked it!**


	3. The Seer, the Medium, and the Villan

I DO NOT OWN TEEN TITANS!

**Authors note: Thanks so much for reading this, everyone! I'm already amazed at the reception and positive (and insistent) comments I'm receiving so far! Think it to everyone who favorite, followed, viewed, reviewed, or PM'd me! I'm glad no one seems to be objecting to my notion that Slade was a good guy once. He apparently was in the comics. (sees that everyone currently reading has either fallen asleep or closed out of the window)**

**A NOTE: There was a huge fiasco edit-wise, where the first edit cut out half the chapter. IF YOU'VE READ THIS ALREADY PLEASE REREAD OR YOU WILL BE LOST! ** Thanks to maranda111 for discovering this:)** Okay everyone, time for more story!**

Jericho's Emancipation

Chapter Three: The Seer, the Medium, and the Villain.

"Bro?" Beast Boy's eyes were huge, his mouth the slack with amazement. "Dude!"

"What? Joey didn't tell you about me? I suppose that's best. I'm a reformed criminal."

Jericho gave her a look, and Robin had the impression that he was scolding her. The idea of Jericho having a criminal sister seemed so ludicrous that he looked to Raven for confirmation. To his surprise, Raven was looking at her with an almost gentle expression, as if some deep compassion lurked beneath her façade of emotionlessness.

Robin shook off his momentary confusion. He had more important things to worry about. There were metahumans to be freed. Probing Jericho's eccentricities could wait.

…

Raven wandered the corridors, passing metahumans receiving medical attention, sometimes stopping to offer healing.

What she had read in Rose's emotions had been troubling. She was definitely unbalanced- Raven could feel the constant struggle Rose engaged in to regulate her moods. Even if Rose had convinced herself that she had become hard and cynical, though, Raven knew she wasn't. Sticking up for that little girl had not been the act of an apathetic person. It was almost as if something else were influencing her, making her more volatile. And Jericho, though he was in possession of a more tranquil spirit, seemed to be nursing emotional whiplash. Raven knew this already, of course, but his sister's unexpected appearance closed the case. Raven had an inkling of what had caused it- she didn't like it, not at all.

Absorbed in her thoughts, she was somewhat irked when Beast Boy grabbed her by the shoulder, dragging her in the opposite direction.

"Beast Boy, what are you doing?" Raven fought his grip, pulling away from him.

Beast Boy put a finger to his lips, pointing urgently to a closed door down the hall.

Raven, who had mastered the art of moving silently to the point where it freaked out strangers, followed.

They edged towards the door. Beast Boy turned into a bat, no doubt to hear better. Raven pressed her ear lightly to the door, and she could hear a voice, surprisingly soft when alone.

"Must keep control… I can do this. Not my fault. Not my _fault_. Don't need. Don't need. Aah!"

Raven threw open the door in one fluid movement. Rose was behind it, kneeling on a hard wooden chair, clutching its back like her life depended on it.

"Rose?"

"Don't touch me. I'll hurt you" Rose's eyes were shut, her teeth clenched. There was a tiny note of panic in her voice.

Raven stayed back. She didn't call Robin, not yet. Rose hadn't been threatening them- she had been warning them.

Beast Boy seemed to sense Rose's true intentions too, because he said, "It's all right, Rose. Us Teen Titans are durable. You'll be okay." He cast worried eyes at Raven, who mouthed, _Jericho._

Beast Boy was back in less than two minutes with Jericho. Immediately, it was made clear why he was there. Rose turned toward him as much as her tense muscles would allow.

"Joey. Get. Out. Of. Here."

Raven could hear Jericho's voice in her mind._ She's not crazy. It's just a side effect of her powers._

_Where did they come from? Some sort of steroid-type chemical?_

_In a way._

_Is it safe to move her? We're in the right place to have her analyzed if we can get her to the right room._

…

In the end, Raven had had to pry Rose off the chair and Jericho had to carry her carry her over his shoulder into a medical room. It was only after he picked her up that she relaxed her board-stiff limbs.

"It's gone," she said heavily.

"We're going to figure out what's up with you," said Raven. " Jericho, put her on the bed."

"Strap me down Joey." Her single eye looked up at him pleadingly.

Jericho moved away from Raven, and soon the sound of ripping Velcro was the only one that could be heard in the room.

…

It was so easy to leave things unsaid when one could not speak.

The Titans had discovered some kind of chemical in Rose's system. They figured it was some kind of military chemical, but they were uncertain as to its exact origin. Rose had been strapped to the bed for three hours, and Jericho had never gotten up the courage to tell them that he knew exactly what it was. For it was the same chemical that flowed in his father's veins, and existed in trace amounts in Jericho himself.

His father had been in the military, subjected to experiments. The serum increased his strength, refined his reflexes, and improved his already sharp tactical mind. Somehow the chemical had trickled down into Jericho himself and given him his powers. Rose, though, had it tougher.

When they had lived on the streets, as they had for a time after their mother died, a couple of stringy teenage boys had pinned Rose down, injecting her with the very same chemical that already existed in her in small amounts. Jericho later found out that they were part of a gang allied with the terrorist organization. They were never caught.

Contrary to popular belief, the fact that the serum gave Rose brief periods of madness had nothing to do with his father. Despite the fact that his father was the most evil villain in the world, the serum wasn't what made him crazy. Life had done that. Disillusionment had done that. Failure had done that.

The fact that Slade was his father was something he wanted to explain to the Titans, but he had one major hurdle regarding that, and he had invited Jericho to the mission.

Robin was completely normal. Well, if not completely normal, then close. He might work a bit too much and cause people to question if he'd ever taken his mask off, but he was a good guy that you could always rely on. Mention Slade however, and the noble teenager turned into a semi-raving, spiteful, vengeful, obsessive workaholic. Just his name coming up in casual conversation could induce a two hour rant from Robin about how Slade was the epitome of pure evil with no conscience and no soul.

It wasn't true. It just wasn't. Even if it was true today, it hadn't been true in the beginning. Jericho couldn't speak a word against his father in general company- in this one way, it was fortunate that he could no longer speak. Explaining this to Robin would be impossible. Jericho didn't blame Robin for thinking of his father in that way. Slade had never given Robin any reason to think differently.

In the end, Raven had discovered that lithium didn't react adversely to the chemical, and has suggested that Rose try it to stabilize her moods. She mentioned that Rose might lose her levitation power, and that was all the convincing Rose needed.

And if Rose was right and Slade was coming, she would need whatever Raven thought would work.

…

Myra followed the pretty lady with the eye patch as soon as the doctors were finished looking at Myra to make sure that she wasn't sick or anything. She liked the pretty lady with the long blond hair and liked the fact that she was only fourteen. That was big enough to protect somebody but not big enough to cause trouble. The pretty lady with the eye patch didn't have any people around her, which surprised Myra. The strange boy with the mask and cape had two; a man and woman wearing leotards that had kind eyes. Most of the other Titan people had some. The strange green boy had two people, man and woman, that looked like zoo keepers. The lady with long blue cloak had some kind of monk, and the girl from the other planet had somebody that looked just exactly like her, only older.

Myra knew that she saw two kinds of people; people that everybody could see and people that were gone. She waited a second. The pretty lady couldn't be completely alone.

Then she saw her, standing right next to the pretty lady. She had dark hair and dark guy is, and was holding something in her hands as though she would quite like to throw it away. It was shiny and silver, but Myra didn't know exactly what it was, because the hands were hiding it so well.

The lady looked up at her, the gone lady. She smiled a little sadly, then slowly faded away.

…

Robin brushed his hands together briskly. They had gotten the orphanage records into enough of an order to reunite most of the kids with their families in the near future. A few of them were orphans, or had parents in jail, but he had made sure that there were other people left behind to deal with that. Only three kids didn't have anywhere to go, and they would be in the Tower for the time being, when they returned.

He thought it was really funny that that girl, Myra, had practically attached herself to Rose's hip, despite the fact that Rose tried to ward her off. Raven had explained to Robin what had been found in Rose's blood. It seemed as though Rose had been living with a condition for so long that she couldn't see how great she was with kids.

He was about to head back to the Tower, where the others would join up with him._ I wonder if we can order pizza. It's been a long day._

He was about to turn the hallway and find his way to the entrance when he heard a slight cough. Robin jumped. Hadn't he been alone this whole time?

"Hello?" he turned slowly around, and his search was interrupted by the sudden onslaught of complete darkness.

He barely had time to register the change before something was on him. Arms, hands, knocking him down, tying him up. It was possible that if he had been on his guard, or if a friend had been there to watch his back, he would've escaped easily. As it happened, his capture was the perfect stunt to announce the return of a certain villain.

…

Rose didn't like to admit it, but she'd always been a sensitive kid. She was good at hiding it now, but not very long ago, she had been the kid that cried every time a cat got stuck up a tree, that had been the first hug to hug someone if she felt that they were sad, and had had the worst time with shots. She knew when things were going to happen before they happened. It was very easy for her to figure out why people did the things they did.

And now she had a terrible feeling all through her body. It wasn't the same feeling that she had when the serum became too much for her. It was a sick, dizzy feeling, and it made her heart pound. And there was a thought in her head, one she couldn't explain.

_It's all about to start again._

There wasn't any justification for the feeling that she had. Joey, for one, was completely relaxed. How he'd managed to find a wide screen TV in this place, she'd never know, but Cyborg and Beast Boy went right along with it, producing snacks out of nowhere.

Myra, who know went with her everywhere she went, had cried when Beast Boy had suggested_ When the Zombies Came to Dallas_, so now they were struggling to find a more age appropriate movie.

"No, I'm not watching Winnie the Pooh!" said Cyborg, sticking out his tongue.

"Dude, how can you not like Winnie the Pooh? It has hefalumps and woozles, for crying out loud!"

"_Thomas the Tank Engine_ is ten times better- and no, I am not just saying that because it has a train!"

The TV, which had been showing a baseball game, went black.

"Okay, that was weird. Cy, did you-"

Beast Boy got his question answered almost instantly. The TV turned back on again, and after a burst of static, the image became clear; a man in a metal mask, steering coolly at them with his single eye.

"Slade!" exclaimed Raven, Starfire close behind.

"You know Raven, you do that almost as well as Robin. Pity he isn't here to do it. My henchmen had to gag him to keep him quiet, and he still isn't behaving well enough for me to let him see your faces."

Rose became stiff, turning her face away, praying that her father would not notice her. Jericho had been lucky- somewhere during the time she had been lost in her muddled thoughts, he had gone to get drinks. Slade didn't even appear to notice her, though. Apparently her appearance had changed enough for him not to recognize her.

"My henchmen have taken over the Tower. I plan to use its resources to conduct some… unfinished business. Robin must not be able to interfere with my plans, and will be eliminated. Good day to you all."

Staring at the black screen a second after the TV went lifeless for the second time, Rose had another feeling- a feeling that somehow Joey had heard every word.


	4. Remeniscing and Demands

**Before you read this chapter, you should reread the first one if you haven't already! For some reason when I uploaded the last chapter, it uploaded an earlier version. I fixed it a while ago. If you've read a recently you should be all right. It wouldn't hurt to check, because if you have and read the revised version, this next chapter will be very confusing :(**

**I'm sorry that this chapter took so long! I was going to take my time on this chapter anyway, because it is particularly important and I wanted to get it right, but then I got a sinus infection and ended up with a load of catch up work. I was originally going to have Jericho's entire explanation in one chapter, but I decided that it would be too cumbersome.**

**From now on, these next few chapters will include plot elements first used in the story The Shadow Life by hammah0219. These are used with her permission. Her story is totally awesome, and I highly recommend it. Specifically, the idea that Slade put Jericho on a mountain that eventually became his home and the idea that he was captured by the organization that I invented and let her use are her ideas. If I use any more of her ideas, all credit her for them as I go along. Seriously, go read her story :) thinks again, hammah!**

**I would really appreciate anybody who could point me to information on The Jackal. I've scoured the Internet and the only results for The Jackal are for the Marvel villain. Seriously, I may be in trouble if I can't find that information.**

**It might be awhile before the next chapter is up, because I'm also behind on another story I'm working on for a different fandom, but hopefully since its spring break it won't be too long.**

**Well, as usual, let me know what you think! Might seem a little bit anticlimactic after the long wait… Meh. **

Jericho's Emancipation

Chapter Four: Reminiscing and Demands

Robin lay pinned to the floor, gagged, and tied up in ropes so tightly that he could feel the course fibers digging into his skin. What had happened? He had been at the conclusion of a successful mission one minute, and caught completely by surprise the next. Only one person could be behind this.

_Slade_.

To this very day, the name made Robin's blood boil. His hatred for Slade eclipsed any other emotion he had- he would do anything to be rid of him. Any moment now, he would be untied and forced to play one of Slade's little mind games. It was a wonder he wasn't suffocating underneath the ropes that bound him. Where was Slade? How long would he be forced to lie here, helpless? Slade didn't usually get much satisfaction from keeping Robin waiting. Every movement was restricted- there was no way Robin could break himself free. What did Slade _want?_ How long had he been here?

_He'll come. He always comes. He's just messing with my mind. I have to stay rational. This is just another one of his tricks. He'll come._

Robin continued telling himself this for the next two hours. During that time, he only managed to free his hands. He couldn't get his arms to move. As he lay there puzzling over why Slade didn't appear, it never occurred to him that this time Slade's priority lay elsewhere.

…

A shrewd person would say that after all Slade had been through, he was afraid of death. That was inaccurate. Impatient with death, yes. Disillusioned by death, yes. He enjoyed little diversions such as torturing Robin. It was refreshing to find a spark of life among the otherwise dewy- eyed, idealistic fools that passed for heroes these days. If Robin were not so deluded as to think that things such as honor and honesty still existed, Slade would have liked to sit back and watch what Robin accomplished as a villain. Sad to say, however, his reasons for capturing Robin were not to torture him, but to keep him out of the way. He supposed he would have to release him afterward- that is, unless he could think of a good excuse not to.

His son was nothing like Robin- a born bohemian, Jericho probably would not have the will to strike anyone. Slade had heard rumors and Jericho had joined the Titans. If that was true, Slade hoped for the reputation of heroes that it was a purely strategic position. His son did have a tactical mind and could be of some use there. His daughter he frequently imagined amongst the Titans, but Rose was dead.

Death. Slade would no longer consider such an option for himself. He would not subject himself to the level of pain he had willingly accepted in earlier years. Some might describe his latest goal as somewhat sentimental. This fact was that Slade never advocated the mindless torture of children- the key word being mindless. The Jackal would pay. This mission would succeed, even if it came down to releasing Robin per the original agreement. Sadly, that may mean a lost opportunity.

How Adelaide would have disapproved of this! He could just see her now, frowning slightly at him. "Come on Slade, can't you think of something a little more direct? You're using your brains so much they might explode. Dumb it down for me, will you?"

Slade was startled at this divergence in his thinking; it had been years since he'd permitted himself to think of Adelaide. Yet ever since his miraculous rebirth, it was almost as if she was truly there-

He stalled this thought immediately. It was a ridiculous notion. Death was death, a foe that not even he had managed to fully conquer. Any world that was truly alive would not have Adelaide in it. He couldn't even begin to fathom why he was thinking about this. It was pointless.

No, Slade was not afraid of death- and if he was, he would never admit it.

…

Jericho had been almost amazed at how things had turned out. He had insisted, using his most clear and simple sign language, to be the one to rescue Robin. To his surprise, everyone seemed to think that this was an incredibly resourceful idea. He'd never fought Slade before, so he would be the last thing Slade would expect.

The only person who was not enthusiastic about this idea was Rose. Her body was still adjusting to the lithium prescription she had received from one of the doctors who had come to the Titans' aid after the battle. She was constantly thirsty and clumsy when she walked, as though she were getting used to not having to hold back her powers as stringently. Jericho felt a little guilty about leaving her behind, but he figured that Rose would be all right. He'd smiled at her on his way out the door, but she hadn't met his eyes. He wondered if she had seen something.

…

_He left me behind. Jerk._

Rose wasn't angry that he left her behind for his most recent little mission. Who would want to go with him to find Slade anyway? Jericho abandoning her in that laboratory was what made her angry. He'd left her behind in that terrible place. If he had as many brain cells as his IQ score suggested, couldn't he have figured out a way to get them all out safely? He'd only been in there for a few months before he had found a way to spring loose- she had been there for… Oh gosh, how long? Couldn't he have done her the courtesy of telling her how long he'd abandoned her before he left again? Or at least and made sure that she'd had enough water? Water sounded nice right now. Really nice.

She could have sprung loose herself from that evil place, but there were people who had counted on her. Unlike Jericho, who was content to be alone but would reach out to anyone who asked for his aid, Rose was drawn to people. It was a fatal attraction, considering she didn't trust them. She was always second best. Always. When her father's reputation as a mercenary began to catch up with him, before he turned into a supervillain, he'd put Jericho on a mountain.

A mountain. Slade had given Jericho a mountain. Rose had never doubted that she would be going too, but when she had gotten separated from them, no one had come back for her. Eventually, she'd been brutally attacked by two teenage boys much bigger and stronger than she was. They injected a serum, Slade's serum, into her vein. For a while, she wasn't able to cope with how the serum had changed her. It made her better at things as she was already good at. The already intuitive, already intense Rose had simply not been able to cope with all the extra information she was suddenly receiving. She heard rumors of a villain called Ravager, began to fall asleep and wake up in strange places. It wasn't until she'd woken up in the hospital with a bandage over her eye that she realized who Ravager was. And before she had any chance to explain, she wound up in a place where they punished you by making you relive your worst nightmare. That was what the Switch did. She'd been subjected to it so many times that she could almost anticipate just how it would torture her. Her act of standing up for Myra would probably be considered heroism by some, but it had been simple for her. Myra had hardly ever gone in the Switch. She, Rose, had a far better chance of surviving it.

Rose had a little tradition back when she'd been in the facility- whenever someone died, whenever someone didn't come back, whenever the hazy police reports that sometimes reached her when she passed the leaders lounge reported mourning, she would draw a rose. Sometimes it would take weeks to find a place to draw and something to draw with. Sometimes it would be a charred piece of kindling taken from the ashes of the dead fire in the fireplace scraped against a blank spot on the wall. Sometimes by the time she found a way to draw without the leaders noticing, the deaths would have numbered so high that she had lost count, and she put more effort into the drawing rather than worrying about drawing 60 roses in different places. She cared for the dead, the left behind. Her stupid heart, her stupid, soft heart, it wouldn't let her simply leave places like Jericho's would. Someday she would figure out how to possess Jericho's tranquility; that way, she could lock herself away and never have to care about anything ever again. Behind the thick skin of her soul lay a heart liable to bleed- someday she would turn it to stone.

…

Robin had fallen asleep when Jericho came. He decided that rather than flounder on the floor anywhere that Slade could possibly see with his cameras, he would merely tried to appear as calm as possible. He was tired of Slade getting inside his head. If Slade refused to come to him, Robin wasn't going to let Slade see him squirm.

So he was surprised when footsteps sounded across the wooden floor. He forgot his resolve to have a cooler head and began struggling again. Forget how he appeared to Slade; today Slade was going down.

…

Jericho knew that the normal strategy adopted by people dealing with Slade was to stay out of sight, so instead of avoiding the red light emanating from the red eye of the security camera that sat on the opposite wall, Jericho made sure that he was in the direct path of the beam. Slade wouldn't hurt the hair on his head, so Jericho saw every reason to exploit that advantage.

He took his time untying Robin, working the rope loose first. It wasn't easy to do, because as the rope fell around and off of Robin, Robin began to thrash more and more aggressively. Jericho couldn't caution him, couldn't tell Robin that it was only him, so he undid the blindfold that had been tied around Robin's eyes. He never could understand how Robin could see out of his mask, and couldn't ask Cyborg even in passing without the danger of Cyborg reciting what seemed like an entire encyclopedia on miniature cloaking devices. However, removing the blindfold obviously made a difference, as Robin lay still after Jericho looked him in the eye.

When Robin was completely free, he pulled at Jericho's shoulder, seeming almost angry that Jericho had pulled him into the path of the camera's malevolent eye. Jericho shook his head once, and Robin's eyebrows furrowed.

_Is he crazy?_

Robin had obviously forgotten that Jericho was telepathic. Jericho found himself smiling as Robin put this black mark on his sanity. He looked at Robin, mouthed, _trust me._

Jericho stood directly in front of the camera as it moved down a few centimeters. He made one slow, simple movement as he glared into the light, fighting not to blink. He put his hand to his throat. Slowly, carefully, he clasped his hand around his useless vocal cords. It would seem a strange movement to Robin, but with this small reminder to Slade, Robin was given the best protection against his nemesis that he would ever have.

Jericho of course had no idea how dearly Robin would make him pay for saving his life in the next few weeks.

…

Raven had gone back into Jump to find out that what Slade had said was true: the Tower was completely overrun by strange robots. Great. She tried to get closer and one of them grabbed her cape, which tore. Even better. She just hoped that for their own good, none of the robots found their way into her room. _Nobody_ went into her room.

She went back to the abandoned facility base to discover that on top of all this, Robin was having a hissy fit. Of all the days to not find time to meditate…

She got closer to see who Robin was yapping at, and her cynical mood evaporated and was promptly replaced by dread.

"This mission was a disaster. Slade's taken over the Tower, and you just sit in front of his security camera like everything's perfectly fine and he's just invited us to lunch!_ What were you thinking?__"_

Jericho's eyes, green like something vital and alive, were downcast. Rose smirked at Robin, as if amused to find such an idiot in her company.

"Did your mother drop you when you were a kid? He just saved your butt!"

"Explain!"

"It would be one big, long explanation. You sure your brain cells are up to the strain, birdie?"

Jericho looked at his sister with an expression that clearly said, _shut up_.

For a split second, a hurt expression crossed Rose's face, and Raven could feel a stab of emotional pain. A second later, she looked simply bored.

"Jericho, you can borrow my body if you want," said Raven.

"Perhaps it would be best if he borrowed my body, as your powers are triggered by strong emotion. This does not seem to be a comfortable topic for which to do the talking," said Starfire.

Jericho stood up and began signing. "_This isn't something explained easily in words. I don't know if I can give it adequate justice."_

"That settles it then. You can have Star's body and my mind." Raven crossed her arms." Give them to me now, and I'll keep them safe." She stretched out her hand, and Jericho came forward, pressing his fingers into her palm.

Raven's eyes widened for a second, as if she was awestruck by what she saw, but then her face slipped back into its familiar deadpan mask.

"So, wait, you took his memories?" Beast Boy stared at her.

Raven nodded. "Don't worry. Just copies. The originals are still in his head."

"This is all very fascinating. Can we get on with it?" Robin's teeth were gritted into what was possibly supposed to be a patient smile.

It was always creepy when Jericho possessed someone. His eyes turned sunken, like the sockets of a shrunken head. He slipped from his own body into Starfire's, and his own body just stood there, although its inhabitant was conspicuously absent. It didn't move.

When Starfire's body moved, it didn't move the way Starfire would move either. It looked down bewildered at its own form for a moment, then looked Robin in the eye.

"Sorry about this. It was the easiest way. Your girlfriend, of all people. Believe me; I get how creepy this can be."

It was obviously not the way Starfire would speak, but Robin didn't care. Jericho was stalling. He knew what Robin wanted to know.

So Jericho sat in the grass, closing his eyes for a second to find his center. If only his first time in a Tamaranian body could be for a better, happier reason than this.

**And that's the end! I was going to put Jericho's entire explanation in this chapter, but I have a Muppet fan fiction that I've written for a Muppet fandom site, and I've kept them waiting longer than you have. It's only fair that I find a good stopping place for this chapter to give them the attention they deserve. See you next time! :-)**


	5. Children of Slade

Jericho's Emancipation

**Disclaimer: I now disclaim this story, all past stories, and all stories I shall write in the future. I own nothing!**

Chapter Five: Children of Slade

"There once was a man who joined the army. He was about our age. He didn't get along very well with his parents, even though he was a bright kid."

"What is this? Tell us what we need to know!"

"Robin, ssh." Raven held up her hand. Robin remembered that she held Jericho's memories, and reluctantly fell silent.

"The army made him a test subject for a new drug in an effort to create supersoldiers. It made him super strong, incredibly fast, and it bolstered his already brilliant mind. He fell in love with his drilling instructor, a woman named Adeline."

Jericho shut Starfire's eyes, wearing an expression on her face that was wearier than any she had ever made herself.

"When the overall experiments became unsuccessful, the man became an ordinary soldier. He fought in battle, but he didn't enjoy it. He thought it a waste to destroy so many lives. He began to lose faith in the government. Eventually, he was discharged, and he settled down and married Adeline. She had had a similar reaction to combat, and wanted nothing to do with the military anymore. Eventually, they had three children. Two of them are sitting in front of you, and both of them are blond."

Rose opened her mouth angrily, and Jericho glared at her again. Seeing Starfire's eyes look at anybody in that way was unnerving. Under this withering stare, Rose fell silent, staring at the ground. Everybody had understood what Jericho just told them.

"Adeline found it easiest to maintain a normal life. It was easier for her to focus on what was in front of her- she didn't analyze much. My father, however, had it harder. The war had made him bitter, but there was no other way for him to use his mind, because he hadn't finished school. He grew irritated, restless. Even us kids could sense it. Then Mom found some papers in his office. He'd been doing some work for an antigovernment group."

Everyone's eyes widened. Rose, still looking at the ground, absentmindedly drew circles on the floor with her finger.

"My mother gave my father an ultimatum. He wasn't to deal with these kind of people anymore. It was dangerous for us, she said. I think that was the only thing that persuaded him. He loved us, both of us so much."

"He didn't love us enough to stop."

"Rose, will you just-"

"No. I won't. Yes, he loved us almost more than he loved himself. He wasn't so good at showing emotions, but he would do anything for us. I used to think when I was in his arms and he swung me around that I could really fly-" She held her arms toward the ceiling for a moment, then put them down as if she had just realize what she w of the as doing. "But he had problems. He came home late. He spent too much time in his office. Mother couldn't even watch the news when he was in the room, Joey. You call that normal? He was discharged from the army because he disagreed too much with the policy, and when he couldn't find a job using military tactics, he became a _mercenary_. The army… I hate the army. It made our father a hateful person, and once they find out who he is"- she indicated the Titans-"they'll hate you too."

Robin's annoyance was replaced with pure shock. "We'd never back down on a team member!" he said indignantly, crossing his arms. "Jericho has proven himself a thousand times over. This has nothing to do with my question. _Why was Jericho so lackluster on his last mission?_"

Jericho sighed. "I'm sorry I haven't told you this earlier, Robin. I should have told you earlier. Slade has certain people who he won't hurt. Hard as it is for you to believe. I knew he wouldn't touch a hair on my head, so I thought a little reminder that you were my friend would be sufficient to protect you."

Robin's mouth opened a little, his lips framing words to subtle to make out. His brows furrowed in confusion, yet his expression was still solemn and intense. Finally he spoke.

"Why you?" he demanded. "Why you, of all people? You're a teenager. I have been tracking Slade for years now, and all of a sudden I find out he has a weak point? You took an oath as a Titan, Jericho. If you have ANY secrets, spit them out now! What makes you so special? Slade has TORTURED ME AND MY FRIENDS! Why are you immune? TELL ME!"

Jericho hung his head. Still in Starfire's body, he again made the movement appear unnatural.

"Because Slade is my father."

There was a dead silence.

Then Robin launched himself at Jericho's still body, punching and kicking. None of the other Titans had ever seen Robin act this way towards a fellow human being before. Somewhere amid the chaos, Jericho slipped back into his own body and as Starfire regained control of hers- she seemed shocked by what she was seeing, rocking backward and forward on her feet as though debating whether to come to Jericho's aid.

Rose was disgusted with the entire thing. How did Jericho expect to make it up to Bird Brain by letting himself get beat up? He could easily best that twerp in a fight. He wasn't even trying to get away. She'd warned him. She wasn't telepathic exactly, yet she could sense the reaction that Slade aroused in Robin. It was hot and angry and quick. She had seen him fall upon her brother in her mind a few seconds before it happened. That didn't matter, though. She didn't matter. Her brother treated her like she was a stupid little kid: her father had let her get lost and separated from them on the streets and hadn't even tried to look for her. Joey was the favorite. She didn't even come close. She would never be loved by anyone, much less become the favorite. As soon as she got the chance, she was splitting this joint.

She looked down and saw that Robin was now on top of Jericho, arm extended. He had a strange metal disc thing in his hand, and the sharp metal side was barely touching her brother's throat.

Instantly another day, another view of Joey's neck flashed in her mind. With the strength and agility bestowed upon her by her father's serum, ignited by a passion and rage all her own, she had Robin on his back in the time it would have taken most people to merely approach. She pressed the heel of her palm into his throat.

"How… dare…you…" she panted, not from exertion but from adrenaline rush. "You know nothing about our family. Do you understand? Nothing! You don't know about how we have to watch our father turn from a man of honor to a metal monster! You don't need to constantly watch your back because of how people will treat you if they know the truth! You were never attacked and pinned down by teenage boys who tried to hurt you because your father was responsible for the death of their mother! You've never had to live with the guilt involved when your father committed a crime, even if it had nothing to do with you! You've never had to stop yourself from feeling worthless because you're related to him! You've never had to sit there and people around you call your father evil incarnate! You've never lived with a secret fear deep down inside of you that you'll turn out to be exactly like him, and won't be able to do a thing to stop it! And you certainly, certainly have never seen Slade almost go crazy because Jericho got his throat cut, or you wouldn't have let that blade touch his neck! You are the most prejudiced, rigid, wrathful person I have ever met! You think that people are born good and bad? You think that the line between good and evil can be found in some comparison chart in the Goody-Two-Shoes Hero Handbook? Are you so resistant to the fact that my father felt love at one time in his life? Don't think I'm not aware of his crimes- I have to carry them on my back! I don't know how long my father has been evil; I only know that I've been paying for it from the moment it happened! If you think you know everything about who I am or what I feel, you're crazy! Even if my brother doesn't care about me or left me behind, if you think you know what Jericho thinks or what his dreams are, if you ignore everything he's done to make people's lives more pleasant, then you are a hypocrite in spandex!"

"Rose, stop! You're choking him!" Cyborg cried out.

Reluctantly, Rose stopped pressing on Robin's throat. She'd been putting more pressure on the first appeared; Robin coughed and sputtered, gasping for air.

"All of you are morons and cowards. The whole lot of you. I've never been more disgusted in all my life. Children could get along better than you do. They're not nearly so arrogant and a narrow-minded. I'm finding more deserving company. I may not be wanted anywhere, but I never act like that. Farewell Titans, Joseph."

She turned and began walking away through the open door, striding with a surprisingly easy, graceful gait.

"By the way, Robin," she said without turning around. "You know why Slade finds it so easy to mess with you guys? He's telepathic. He can read your mind."

"Rose? Where are you going?"

The Titans had managed to distract Myra during their conversation by letting her explore the various rooms in the facility base, which is where they had been hiding out since Slade had taken over the Tower. However, she'd wandered back in at the precise second that Rose had announced her departure.

Rose turned around, her expression softening a little. She looked like a good natured pirate. Raven, who had been ruminating over what she felt in Rose's emotions, pressed her advantage when Myra's green eyes filled with tears.

"Rose, it doesn't have to be this way. Let us help you. You don't have to leave."

"Let you help me? How would you help me? Bird Boy over here turns psycho whenever he hears the name Slade. Wouldn't that be a bit of a conflict of interest?" She kicked aside an empty snack food bag with the toe of her ratty sneaker.

"I don't want you to go!" shouted Myra, balling up her fists.

"Listen to me Myra." Myra ran to Rose, and Rose knelt down and Looked her in the eyes. "Listen to me now. These people can protect you better than I can. Listen to Raven. She's the smartest."

"Why do you have to go?" Myra's voice was filled with the anguish only a child can convey.

"Do you remember, from before you came here, if any kids wouldn't play with you because they didn't like you?"

Myra sniffled. "Yeah. Sometimes."

"Did you eventually find other kids to play with who didn't care how you looked or where you came from?"

Myra took a deep breath in and out. She pressed her lips together and nodded mutely, face wet with tears.

"I haven't found that place yet, baby. My daddy is a mean man, and people think I'm just like him because someone gave me medicine that turned me bad. They fixed it, but now I have to go and find who I am. And I have to do it in a place where I can be safe. Do you understand?"

This was the best way to explain to Myra how the serum had heightened the powers she had already received as part of her genetic code. The first dose of serum she had gotten through birth. The second had simply been too much to take.

Myra nodded again, crying in earnest.

"Listen, Myra. It doesn't matter where I go or where I am. You'll always be right here." Rose put her hand over her heart. "Right here."

Myra sniffed loudly, copying the gesture. "And you'll be here," she whispered.

Myra looked over. The pretty woman she had seen earlier had come again. Her face was sad. She still held the silver, shiny thing in her hand. She came up behind Rose, making a move as if to touch her shoulder. Myra knew that she must be a ghost- dead people who went on to the other place always smiled when they came back to visit.

She looked at Myra, who looked back and her. A flood of images passed between them. Rose keeping Myra and the other small ones alive in the facility. The lady holding a little girl that must have been Rose, accompanied by two other children.

_You are her mother. I can feel it. Why don't you try to speak to her? I could tell her what you say._

The lady looked even sadder than before._ I don't deserve to speak to her. I only have the bravery to linger. I'm stuck here until I can get rid of this…_

"I have to go, Myra. Thank you for being with me."

The woman was gone in an instant. She didn't fade or vanish; she simply wasn't there.

"Rose?" Myra was stricken by a sudden thought.

"Yes?" Rose had gotten up again. She was already several yards away.

"If Robin hadn't tried to hurt your brother, would you have stayed?"

Rose turned her head, looking back. Her face was unreadable. There was a long silence and which she grew further and further away. She turned her head away from Myra to face the horizon, but not before she said, "Maybe, Myra. Maybe."

And she vanished from sight just as the sky began to turn pink.

Myra looked around at the other Titans. Starfire was crying. Beast Boy looked anguished. Cyborg's mouth was set in a grim line. Raven seems to be taking in the entire situation in her own calm, heavy way.

Jericho looked out the door after his now out of sight sister. His posture was loose and hunched, as if he couldn't believe what had just occurred, and it was causing him great pain. He still had scuff marks on his face from where Robin had tried to attack him.

Robbins expression was the strangest of all. He had pulled himself up from his prone position on the floor and was now sitting half in shadow. He appeared simply dazed, like a robot that had received a command that did not compute.

Starfire, holding back sobs, pulled Robin up into a standing position and shook his shoulders.

"Why Robin? Why did you have to let your hatred of Slade affected treatment of our dear friend? Now he has lost his sister…"

Overcome, she went into the far corner of the room and started to cry.

It was a very long night, especially for a certain red bird.


	6. Crossed by X

**Disclaimer: if I really owned Teen Titans, I would be making actual episodes, not a fanfic. Therefore, I do not own Teen Titans **

**Authors note: Hi everybody! I know it's been forever. School is out of session! So that means more chapters hopefully.**

**I know I've been making Rose's back story a bit blurry as I've tried to get a handle on her. To clarify; in this story she's the daughter of Slade and Adeline (it just makes things simpler to have to worry only about one set of parents) and she has the power to see the short term future in times of extreme emotion or an adrenaline rush, and occasionally will see crucial events that will occur farther into the future. She came to the correctional facility and it messed with her powers, which explains extreme instability in chapter one and the excess power in the chapters immediately following. She's now on lithium a doctor prescribed, which helped her revert back to her normal powers, but since the chemicals in her bloodstream react in a certain way with the lithium, it doesn't really do anything as a mood stabilizer, which is what it's normally used for. Now, there it is more to this, but I don't want to ruin the rest of the story. I just wanted to clarify some of the beginning points that may have confused some people. I'm going to revise the first few chapters (nothing big, just bits here and there) when this story is finished to make that bit clearer.**

**How did she get to the lab in the first place? That's for me to know and you to (eventually) find out.**

**Thanks to hammah1029 for helping me brainstorm an idea for this chapter. I haven't forgotten about you, writing buddy, though we last spoke several weeks ago. :-)**

**I'm amazed that I've gotten so many reviews and follows while I was off! You guys rock! I've read them all, even when school held me hostage from responding.**

Jericho's Emancipation

Chapter six: Crossed by X

Rose had nothing in mind as she wandered away from the place where she had spent a period of her life to which seemed like eternity. She knew how to survive on the street. When she had been small, she had known instinctively to lay low, to not draw attention to herself. The one time she had broken that rule, she had regretted it.

She walked for a long time, her instinctive knowledge of alleyways and forgotten corners guiding her almost unconsciously. It wasn't until she felt pangs of hunger that she stopped. The lights of the city kept it from being pitch black, but there was still enough darkness for her to slip behind, unnoticed.

She thought through her options- it was too late for a teenage girl to wander into a store at night by herself. That option discarded, she scouted for the nearest trash can. She turned, spotting one standing in front of a graffiti-covered brick wall.

She approached it, grimacing slightly. The facility had offered food- colorless sludge, but still food, served three times a day on stainless steel ware. She hadn't gone Dumpster diving in a while. But this was no time to be squeamish; she had to get back on her game.

She reached out to remove the scratched silver lid.

"Need help with that?" a soft voice whispered with poise.

Rose gritted her teeth at her familiar voice. What nerve! "Get out of my face Robin! What are you doing here anyw-"

She turned, fist raised, but to her amazement, the figure standing before her was not Robin. It was some other guy, carrying his lank build with definite swagger, wearing a black uniform with a mask like a skull. She squinted, and in the dim light she thought she could see an X emblazoned on the forehead, crossing over to his left eye. There was also one on his chest – it was too dim to make out the exact colors of his chosen garb.

Her eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I need help to you?"

"Feisty, are we? To put it bluntly, you intrigued me. Not many little girls are willing to be by themselves after dark. Not in this place."

Rose bristled. "I know my way around this place, peacock. You better strut along before I ruffle your feathers."

The strange boy raised his hands. "I have been pierced by your rapier wit."

There was something about his voice that sounded artificial. Rose surmised that some kind of synthesizer was hidden in his suit. "If you're a street kid, where'd you get the techno?"

"You might say I… inherited it from the original owner."

Rose pursed her lips slightly. "You mean you stole it."

"Got a problem with that, princess?"

"I do if it means the police are on your back."

"How very thoughtful of you."

"I'm not concerned for your well-being, buddy. And I would watch out if I were you. You get me angry, hyped up, upset? And cleaning that thing-" She indicated the suit-"will be the least of your worries."

X Boy snickered.

She rounded on him, teeth bared. "The name Ravager mean anything to you, punk? Cross me and she comes loose."

She turned around, looking away from the boy, calming the adrenaline she felt flowing through her veins. The boy didn't follow. He didn't move. She continued to walk until she was several blocks away from her original dinner.

She found another Dumpster, resting her head against the cool metal.

She'd seen pictures of Ravager in the paper, seen undeniable evidence of her crimes. Yet she had not realized that she herself was Ravager until she ended up flat on her back at the hospital one fateful afternoon, soon to be delivered into the custody of the organization that would keep her prisoner until she could no longer count the days.

She had been protecting the strange boy. He'd gotten off easy. Ever since Bird Boy had attacked her brother, she knew that Ravager was still alive within her. If her perception got skewed again, if the serum put her on autopilot, she would turn into a monster.

The rest of the world was better off to simply leave her alone.

…

Red X watched the girl walk away, a little at a loss to what had just happened. He'd intended to woo a hot chick and found a supposed psycho villain instead. Everyone on the streets had heard of Ravager: she came out on the streets at random, wreaking havoc in the name of Slade. Rumors told of a girl who, in a fit of euphoria, had cut out her own eye to be like her father.

Nobody knew where she would appear next; who would get hurt if they were to cross her erratic path. You would wake up one morning and she would be there, moving with almost unnatural speed and grace. If you got in her way, she would simply throw you aside, with no regard for the damage she caused. If you were stupid enough to try to fight, she would be able to tie when you were doing before you did, and fling you aside with no effort at all. She would stay for days at a time, breaking anything she could get her hands on. Then, just when you thought there would be no end, she would vanish. She would simply not be there the next day, and any attempts to find her were fruitless. It was a legend that Red X heard over and over again, and up until today he had believed the word of it. Sensationalist crap like that meant nothing to him. It was just another bogeyman story to scare newbies and keep the ankle biters in your group in bed after dark, wherever bed might be for the night.

The girl was bluffing; there was no way she could be Ravager. Still, he'd keep an eye on her- you'd never know when a kid that sharp could come in handy. Besides, she was the most stimulating person he'd met in a while. Not that that meant anything serious.

He was Red X, and if they ever did work together, she would work for him.

**Hope you liked this chapter! Please don't PM me asking who I think Red X is. I'm going to tell you in due time, and it's kind of distracting if you ask me questions that I plan to answer later on. That being said, reviews and comments are welcome! I hope I managed to capture Red X's character properly in my writing.**


End file.
